[Mailman-Users] Preparing for Qmail + 2.0.13 -> 2.1.2 upgrade

[Steve Linberg]

Hi everyone.

I run about 50 smallish lists on a virtual domain I host, and I've 
been promising my users the upgrade to 2.1 since late last year. 
I've been watching the bug reports and waiting for the right time, 
and now 2.1.2 seems stable on the whole from the reports I've read. 
I'm trying to map out the process ahead of time as best I can; I've 
read the FAQ and dug through the archives and Googled myself silly, 
and still have a couple of questions.

I'm going to proceed very cautiously, and ideally keep 2.0.13 running 
for a while and move the lists over to 2.1.2  one at a time, starting 
with a test, to make sure everything goes smoothly.  I want to be 
sure I understand the mechanics, especially using Qmail, on which the 
documentation is a little thin within the system.  I'm comfortable 
with Qmail, but Mailman's inner workings are a mystery to me, and I'd 
like them to stay that way if at all possible. :)

2.0.13 works great, and I'm using Bruce Peren's supplied 
qmail-to-python script to handle all mail to my list domain.  I have 
2.0.13 (from source, Red Hat 7.3) installed in /usr/local/mailman, 
but I'm planning the 2.1.2 install in /opt/mailman, with the mutable 
data in /home/mailman, to fit with my layout scheme on a 
recently-upgraded machine.

I've read the bit about the parallel install in the UPGRADE document, 
but that mostly addresses the web end of things, which I think I 
understand pretty well.  What I'm a little fuzzy on is how to handle 
incoming mail for two simultaneous installs, which I'll need to do 
for a few weeks or so until I get everything converted to 2.1.2.

I've come up with this as a plan, but I'd be very interested in 
critiques, dope-slaps, or painful lessons learned before I embark:

1. Keep the domain alias in /var/qmail/controls/virtualhosts pointed 
at the "mailman" user for 2.0.13.

2. Create a "mailman21" user to handle 2.1.2, and install 2.1.2 
configured for this user (/group).  2.0.13/mailman will continue to 
receive all list mail for the domain.

3. When moving lists, in addition to the data-moving and web stuff, 
set up a set of aliases in ~mailman for the list being moved (i.e. 
.qmail-listname-post, etc) that all forward to the user mailman21. 
These will take precedence over the .qmail-default file that hands 
off the rest to the qmail-to-python script for 2.0.13.

4. This will send the messages to ~mailman21, where the 2.1.2 version 
of the qmail-to-python script will catch it via 
~mailman21/.qmail-default and do the processing from there.

5. When all the lists are converted, change the qmail virtualhosts 
file to send all mail to the list domain to mailman21, rather than 
mailman, which can then be retired.

Does this sound correct?

Is it also correct that under the above scenario, I should be able to 
do a full install of 2.1.2 next to 2.0.13 without disturbing it?

Is there any reason Mailman 2.1.2 might burp if it's being run with 
the username 'mailman21' instead of 'mailman'?

Is there anything else I should be anticipating?

Thanks in advance!


-- 
Steve Linberg, Chief Goblin
Silicon Goblin Technologies
http://silicongoblin.com
Be kind.  Remember, everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.